The countdown begins

The time is getting close. Auto racing season is upon us. The NHRA Winternationals begin Feb. 5; the Daytona 500 is Feb. 15.

What to look for in 2009: Lots of changes in sponsors, teams, drivers, crew chiefs. Incomplete fields a real possibility in all forms of racing. Maybe not in the first race or two, but on down the line. It’ll take some getting use to, but the racing will still be competitive and most of the really, really popular drivers will be at every race: Junior, Gordon, Stewart, Edwards, John Force and family, Brandon Bernstein among others. It’s the middle of the road drivers and teams that will suffer the most and be the most noteably absent.

Even with a somewhat gloomy forecast, it’s still exciting for all gearheads to be so close to starting the racing season.